Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 10,707, Joseph French, Mass.

SERVICE
Mass.
French, Joseph
NUMBER
S. 10.707
CONTENTS
carded

6696
New Hampshire
Joseph French of Coneshehe in the State of NH . who was a pm  Musick in the Company commanded by Captain Fletcher of the Regt. commanded by Col. Dulelle in the Nat. Militia time for 11 mo from 1775 .
Inscribed on the Roll of New Hampshire at the rate of 59 Dollars 33 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 6th day of March 1833 and sent Wm H Hubbard
Arrears to 4th of March 1833 $ 78 66 Semi-ant. allowance ending Sept " 19 66
$ 98 32
{ Revolutionary Claim, { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Henry H Sylvester Clerk Book 20 Vol. 1 Page 152
Letter to J. M. Edrards 25 July 1838 Dead
Paid at the Treasury under the Act of the 6. April 1838 from 4 Sept 1834 to the 6. Janu 1835 . Agts Notified 18 Dec 1838 .

Application of Joseph French Sullivan 10777. W.H. S. Hale, clerk

State of New Hampshire County of Cheshire } On this twenty first day of August 1832. personally appeared in open court before the Justices of the Court of Common Pleas now sitting at Keene within and for said County of Cheshire - Joseph French of Sullivan in the County of Cheshire and State of New Hampshire not seventy seven years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to claim the benefits of the act of Congress passed June 7. 1832.
That he entered into the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
In the winter of 1774. a company of Minute men was formed in Templeton Mass. where this deponent then resided under Capt. Joel Fletcher The said French was a drummer in said company & Lieutenant either. On the 19 th of April 1775, news of the Concord Fight reached Templeton Capt. Fletcher's company was immediately assembled and the said French marched with the company to Cambridge Massachusetts and arrived there on the 21 st day of April. and remained in Cambridge until about the middle of January 1776. On the first day of May 1775. the said French enlisted into the eight months service in Captain Fletcher's company and Col. Doolittle's Regiment of Massachusetts Troops. The said French remained on duty as a drummer drummer in said company at Cambridge and vicinity until the first day of January 1776 when their term of enlistment expired. and then at the request of his officers, the said French at the

with several other members of the company consented to remain and did remain on duty about a fortnight longer until their place was supplied by the new troops.
That he was in the battle of Bunker Hill and one other occasion was wounded in the neck by a bullet, the scar of which remains to this day.
In the latter part of 1776 or first of 1777 the said French enlisted into a company of Massachusetts Militia for the limited time service, commanded by Captain Benjamin Ditsworth and Lieutenant Elisha G. Templeton. The company arrived at Bennington soon after the Battle of Bennington. The company then went to Stillwater and this company was at the battle of Stillwater and followed the British troops to Saratoga and was at the surrender of Burgoyne, Oct 17 th 1777. after which the company with other American troops went down the River and was at or near White Plains when he was dismissed which he thinks was in the month of November 1777. The original engagement for the last mentioned service the said French thinks was for thirty days - but at the end of that time the officers were unwilling to discharge them and the company remained in the service as well as this defendant re-enlisted for three months. In this service the said French was a private and he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to the same. The Regiment the said French thinks was at this time commanded by Colonel Cushing of Massachusetts.

He has no documentary evidence and he knows of no person whose testimony he can produce who can testify to his said services except the affidavits herewith transmitted.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the agency of any State.
He was born in Holden Massachusetts August 24 - 1755. He has no record of his age but believes there is one on the town books of Holden.
He lived in Temple until about the time he was called into the service, and until the year 1780, when he moved to Marlborough in Hampshire, and soon lives in Sullivan aforesaid.
Joseph French
Sworn and subscribed the day ayear aforesaid S. Hale, Clerk
We Charles Cummings a clergyman residing in Sullivan and Rufus Mason residing in said Sullivan, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Joseph French who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; That we believe him to be seventy seven years of age; That he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion. Charles Cummings
Rufus Mason
Sworn & subscribed the day ayear aforesaid S. Hale Clerk
And the said Court as fully declare their opinion, after the investigation of the whole matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary

soldier said mind as he states. And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Charles Cummings who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in said Hilli- ban, & that Rufus Mason, who has also signed the same is a resident in said town, and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
I Salma Hale Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas do hereby certify that the fore- going contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Joseph French for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have set my hand and the seal of said Court this 29 th day of August 1832
S. Hale, Clerk
10773
Application for Joseph French pension

10.777 Joseph French
8 mo Drum 29.33
3 - pr 10 $ 39.33
and Mop Bell
12 / 114 / 3.66 2/3 36 / 3.66 2/3 8022 00 12 / 809.33 1/3 12 / 8

f 10,777.4  BRIEF in the case of Joseph French in the State of New Hampshire County of Cheshire (Act 7th June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Court 2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity? 3. How old is he? 77. 4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
   Period. Duration of Service. Rank. As a Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.   Years, Months, Days.     Enlisted In 1775-20 th April. — 8 — Drummer Gen. Capt. Fletcher, Lieut. Cutler, Col. Doolittle   " 1777 July — 3 — Private Capt. Boynton, Lieut. Cutler, Col. Cushing  
5. In what battles was he engaged? Bunker Hill, Stillwater, Saratoga 6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Templeton, Mass.
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditional & a witness
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? Correct
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
J. Waugh
Examining Clerk.
Feb. 11. 1833.

Treasury Department,
Second Comptroller's Office,
December 13 th , 1838.
Sir:
Under the act of the 6th of April, 1838, entitled "An act directing the transfer of money remaining unclaimed by certain Pensioners, and authorizing the payment of the same at the Treasury of the United States," the Widow of Joseph French, — a Pensioner on the Roll of the Concord, N.H. Agency, at the rate of thirty nine Dollars and thirty three Cents per annum, under the law of the 7 th June, 1832, has been paid at this Department, from the 1 st of Sept. 1834 to the 6 th January 1835, the day of his death,
Respectfully, yours,
Alison E. Parrish Comptroller.
To the Commissioner of Pensions,
Present.

Rev War
10707
INVALID.
Rev
File No. 10707
Joseph French Briv. Rev. War
Act: June 7 th 1832
Index:—Vol. 6 , Page 132
[Arrangement of 1870.]

2 Knox July 18 1838
Sir. —
I enclose for examination the papers, drawn to obtain certain arrears of pension due to widows of dec d pensioners. — widows of Joseph French & Benjamin Barker. —
The papers have remained some little time since their completion and it becomes necessary for that reason as well as the part of the pension having remained for a time unclaimed to ask a special order for pay.
Respectfully
M. M. Edwards

I Josiah Haskell of Templeton in the County of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts. aged Seventy six years. Do testify and say that, Joseph French, now a resident of Sullivan in the State of New Hampshire. did on or about the tenth first of May in the year 1775. enlist into a Company of Militia, commanded by Capt. Joel Fletcher for the term of Eight months, as a Drummer: The Regiment commanded by Col. Doolittle - That at the time of his enlistment he was a resident of Templeton aforesaid. That he was stationed at Cambridge and its immediate neighbourhood during the whole time of his service - My knowledge of this service of said French is in consequence of my belonging to the same company, and stationed with him, the most of time during the service. I was also subsequently to having to his completing his full term of eight months -  Josiah Haskell
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Worcester County ss. Aug. 10 th 1832. Then personally appeared the above named Josiah Haskell and made solemn Oath to the truth of the above Affidavit by him subscribed -  Before me. Samuel Lee. Jus. Peace.
I hereby certify that full faith and credit ought to be given to the testimony of Josiah Haskell the above named Deponent. Templeton Aug. 10 th 1832.  Sam d . Lee. Jus. Peace.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Worcester ss. I Abijah Bigelow, Clerk of the Judicial Courts, holden within and for the County of Worcester, do hereby certify, that Samuel Lee Esquire, before whom the above affidavit of Josiah Haskell was made and sworn to, is a Justice of the Peace, within

and for the county of Worcester and that his signature thereto appears to me to be in his own proper hand writing. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the County Seal, this fourteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two. Elijah Bigelow, Clerk.

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims , of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of
Joseph French further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? yes II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? yes III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so? IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? yes V. * Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled? yes VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? yes VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? yes VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? yes IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? yes X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal? No such device

XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? yes
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it?
XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had?
XIV. † If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service? yes
If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses? yes
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? yes
XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service? yes
XVI. ‡ Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? yes
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? 5, 6, 7.
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
* QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
"Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades; For _____ year _____ months, and _____ days, I served as a _____ For _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____; and for such service I claim a pension."

It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which each applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
† QUERE XIV.  Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
‡ QUERE XVI.  Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.
¶ In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.